Megna's first NHL goal boosts Penguins

The Sports Xchange

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The SportsXchange•October 29, 2013

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sidney Crosby had a great vantage point when Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Jayson Megna scored his first NHL goal. The Penguins' captain liked the view and the reaction. "It's fun to see the look on anyone's face when they score their first NHL goal," Crosby said. "That never gets old. It's nice he got it early and he can build off it." Megna, playing in his second NHL game, scored in the third period after earlier recording an assist, and the Penguins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 Monday night at PNC Arena. Megna, a 23-year-old center, scored at 7:11 of the final period, with Crosby picking up his second assist of the game. Crosby sent the puck toward Hurricanes goalie Justin Peters, and the puck redirected off Megna and into the net. "I felt it go off my shin pad," Megna said. "It's not the way I dreamed it (would happen), but I'll take them any way I can in this league." Tanner Glass and Chris Kunitz also scored for the Penguins, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Brooks Orpik provided three assists. Carolina (4-5-3) lost its third game in a row, all since goalie Cam Ward was hurt last week. Nathan Gerbe scored the Hurricanes' lone goal on a first-period power play. Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves for Pittsburgh (8-4-0). Peters, playing due to injuries to Ward and Anton Khudobin, is winless in three outings this season. "We have to stay persistent," said Peters, who recorded 26 saves Monday. "If you keep doing all the little things right, you're going to get the results you want." The Penguins broke a 1-1 tie when Kunitz outreached Carolina's Jordan Staal for Crosby's pass with 3:36 left in the second period. "That was a nice play on their part," Peters said. "You have to tip your hat." In the first period, Glass blasted in a rebound of Megna's shot at 8:25. Both of Glass' goals this season are against Carolina. Crosby, who has a team-high 12 assists, said Megna's game-long contributions were relevant. "He was great, just creating things," Crosby said. "He played a great hockey game, and it's just great to see him get rewarded for it." Megna said his nervousness subsided compared to his debut Friday night against the New York Islanders. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma also praised Megna. "I think he was effective on most every shift with his speed," Bylsma said. "He made some plays and really earned the opportunity to get more ice time." The Hurricanes drew even when Gerbe scored on a 5-on-3 power play with 3:57 to go in the first period. Two of Gerbe's four goals this season are against Pittsburgh. It took the Hurricanes almost 12 minutes to register their first shot. Pittsburgh recorded the first nine shots of the game, scoring once. In the second period, the Penguins were without a shot for the first 8 1/2 minutes. The Hurricanes managed only three third-period shots. "In the third period (when) they've got the lead, they know how to shut teams down," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said of the Penguins. "They won more battles than we did. They grinded harder." Gerbe provided five of Carolina's 21 shots. Muller said the Hurricanes need more widespread contributions. "Some of our guys have to start contributing," he said. "You can't come in and play an average game. You have to bring more." Pittsburgh's Joe Vitale and Carolina's Brett Sutter exchanged punches in a first-period scuffle. It was the first fighting major for both players this season. NOTES: The Penguins entered the game with their first three-game losing streak since a six-game slump from Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 11, 2012. ... Pittsburgh D Rob Scuderi missed his first game of the season, sitting out with a lower-body injury suffered in the first period Saturday at Toronto. Scuderi had played 276 consecutive games, the team's longest active streak. ... D Robert Bortuzzo was in the lineup in Scuderi's place. ... Hurricanes LW Jeff Skinner missed his second game with an undisclosed upper-body injury. ... D Tim Gleason played in his first home game of the season and his second game overall after missing the start of the season with an injury. ... The Penguins return home for a Wednesday night game against the Boston Bruins. ... The Hurricanes stay home for a Friday night matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.